In lenticular type three-dimensional (3D) photography, a plurality of two-dimensional (2D) views of the scene are taken from a number of horizontally spaced vantage points and a series of 2D images is then composed and printed at the focal plane on the emulsion of each of the lenticules of the lenticular print film to form a 3D composite image of the scene.
When composing a 3D photograph, the key subject image on each of the 2D views must be aligned and accurately registered on the lenticular print material in order to produce an in focus 3D image. In the past, the person operating the printer would visually position each negative view into the light gate of the printer to align the key subject on the lenticular print material. This was usually done by visual alignment of each view in an optical or video device or using cross hairs for centering the key subject on the print material. Each of the 2D negative views must be printed on the print material. The key subject in each of these views needs to be manually aligned because the spacing between the key subject images between each adjacent 2D view is different from picture to picture because each picture has the key subject at a different distance. This process of aligning the key subject of each view is troublesome and time consuming and has made the three dimensional printing process very complicated. The alignment is especially difficult with 2D negative films which are over or under exposed.